Tear the Roof Off the Sucker Tonight on PBS with PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC: One Nation Under a Groove

P-Funk -- George Clinton's confabulous mutating fusion of science fiction, animation, whimsy, agitation, and the bodacious, bootilicious, redemptive might of FUNK -- is profiled tonight at 10pm in the documentary film PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC: One Nation Under a Groove, on the PBS series Independent Lens.

After forming the Parliaments as a doo-wop group in Newark, NJ in the '50s, Clinton took a severe left turn in the late-'60s as he began to split his time between the heady, meaty, elastic brews of funk and horn-based soul (Parliament), and funk and rocking psychedelia (Funkadelic) that became jointly known as P-Funk. Eddie Hazel's mind-blowing guitar brought Funkadelic to a rock crowd, particularly on the trippy early'-70s classic "Maggot Brain."

Other seminal members were keyboardist-arranger Bernie Worrell, and brothers, bass-master Bootsy and rhythm guitarist Catfish Collins. Catfish and Bootsy joined in '72 fresh from the James Brown Band where they were instrumental on a host of hits such as "Super Bad," "Sex Machine" and "Soul Power."

Bootsy became crucial to P-Funk not only for his thumping bass, but also his attitude, honed from his stint with the Godfather of Soul. "We're the tightest band, the tightest, funkiest mothers you ever want to meet," he says in the film. "To be funky is one thing, but to be tight and funky, that's what we learned from James."

The classic mid-to-late '70s period produced indelible fonky smashes "P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)," "Up For the Down Stroke," "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)," "Get Off Your Ass and Jam," "Flash Light," "Aqua Boogie," "One Nation Under A Groove," and "(Not Just) Knee Deep."

Clinton developed a mythology, exuberantly illustrated on album covers by Pedro Bell, about brothas from another planet who came to liberate earth from the restrictions of Puritanical morality and unfunky music. It was a concept that allowed P-Funk's fans to transcend the confines of their neighborhood and imagine themselves as citizens of a much larger universe.

Article Author: Eric Olsen

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